Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA, UK.
Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Neuroimage. 2021 Feb 15;227:117673. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117673. Epub 2020 Dec 24.
A better understanding of practice-induced functional and structural changes in our brains can help us design more effective learning environments that provide better outcomes. Although there is growing evidence from human neuroimaging that experience-dependent brain plasticity is expressed in measurable brain changes that are correlated with behavioural performance, the relationship between behavioural performance and structural or functional brain changes, and particularly the time course of these changes, is not well characterised. To understand the link between neuroplastic changes and behavioural performance, 15 healthy participants in this study followed a systematic eye movement training programme for 30 min daily at home, 5 days a week and for 6 consecutive weeks. Behavioural performance statistics and eye tracking data were captured throughout the training period to evaluate learning outcomes. Imaging data (DTI and fMRI) were collected at baseline, after two and six weeks of continuous training, and four weeks after training ended. Participants showed significant improvements in behavioural performance (faster task completion time, lower fixation number and fixation duration). Spatially overlapping reductions in microstructural diffusivity measures (MD, AD and RD) and functional activation increases (BOLD signal) were observed in two main areas: extrastriate visual cortex (V3d) and the frontal part of the cerebellum/Fastigial Oculomotor Region (FOR), which are both involved in visual processing. An increase of functional activity was also recorded in the right frontal eye field. Behavioural, structural and functional changes were correlated. Microstructural change is a better predictor for long-term behavioural change than functional activation is, whereas the latter is superior in predicting instantaneous performance. Structural and functional measures at week 2 of the training programme also predict performance at week 6 and 10, which suggests that imaging data at an early stage of training may be useful in optimising practice environments or rehabilitative training programmes.
更好地理解我们大脑中因练习而产生的功能和结构变化，可以帮助我们设计出更有效的学习环境，从而取得更好的效果。尽管越来越多的人类神经影像学证据表明，经验依赖性的大脑可塑性表现在与行为表现相关的可测量的大脑变化中，但行为表现与结构或功能大脑变化之间的关系，特别是这些变化的时间进程，还没有得到很好的描述。为了了解神经可塑性变化与行为表现之间的联系，本研究中的 15 名健康参与者在家中每天进行 30 分钟的系统眼球运动训练，每周 5 天，连续进行 6 周。在整个训练期间，都记录了行为表现统计数据和眼动追踪数据，以评估学习效果。在基线、连续训练 2 周和 6 周以及训练结束后 4 周时，采集了成像数据（DTI 和 fMRI）。参与者在行为表现方面有显著提高（任务完成时间更快、注视次数和注视时间更少）。在两个主要区域观察到微观结构扩散测量值（MD、AD 和 RD）和功能激活增加（BOLD 信号）的空间重叠减少：外侧视觉皮层（V3d）和小脑的额部/Fastigial 眼球运动区（FOR），这两个区域都参与视觉处理。右额眼区也记录到功能活动的增加。行为、结构和功能变化之间存在相关性。微观结构变化是长期行为变化的更好预测指标，而功能激活则更适合预测即时表现。训练计划第 2 周的结构和功能测量值也可以预测第 6 周和第 10 周的表现，这表明在训练早期阶段的成像数据可能有助于优化实践环境或康复训练计划。
